Tag Archive: Vancouver


Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

TGIF-2030 coming fast…

So, 2030 is a big year in the experience of humanity, no Vancouver Olympics but air will not be sucked out of the room so to speak. The IOC has come out favouring the French Alps. The official decision is to be made on July 23rd 2024 at the 142nd OAC meeting for Olympic venue selection.

Vancouver’s bid

Vancouver’s bid failed to get the support of the BC government and has floundered as The Americans enjoy favour on the 2034 salt lake city venue and others wonder when and why is a successful Olympics bid made.

Cross Country skis File photo KDG

Tsatassaya White

The indigenous people with Tsatassaya White above were driving the call untill the BC government declared it not on, in the their view.

Hundreds of seagulls

A low pressure front is working its way inland from the ocean and is pushing winds  into Merritt. The winds are bringing coastal seagulls with it as hundreds were in the air Monday evening. Tuesday saw a lone seagull with four crows foraging for scraps at the  mall bench. The mix seemed a bit off but there was a noticeable lack of hostility with the birds.

The accepting crows even seemed to have more peace with the gull then with the idled men that sometimes take that bench. Some rain may not be far behind these birds as a cooling is noticeable. The forecasters are saying a significant amount of rain will come to the central north of the province this week. Merritt does not usually have seagulls.

On this day: July 22 1985 Greek singer Nikos Ganos is born. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtvM1hxDA1s

Fortis BC

Gas Natural

Gas Natural (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Fortis BC utility people were here working on one of their isolation valves this week. The technician said that natural gas is sniffed for in residential areas once every 5 years for leaks, 1 yr in commercial areas.

Natural gas is odorless and colorless so the utility adds chemicals to make it smell like rotten eggs.

Editors note: it is not to be confused with Carbon mon oxide which is poisonous and a by-product of burning fuel. natural gas can cause suffocation by displacing oxygen.

For safety concerns:http://www.fortisbc.com/Safety/Pages/default.aspx

Today in history: December 13th 1979

The Canadian government of Joe Clark is defeated in a confidence vote bringing the 1980 election and Pierre Trudeau back.

Ocean Wise Super Saturday

Delphinapterus leucas at Vancouver Aquarium

Delphinapterus leucas at Vancouver Aquarium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

November 9th is a super Saturday for the Vancouver Aquarium, the facility will be open an hour early for its members. BC hydro is endorsing ocean awareness and the Vancouver aquarium. The power smart people from hydro will be there also to give out winter power conservation tips. http://www.bchydro.com/news/conservation/2013/ocean-wise-month.html?WT.mc_id=c-13-11_oceanwise

 editors Note:

There is a great concern about the ocean and its endangered species, over fishing cruelty to sharks and bait. The Vancouver aquarium will give an appreciation for its beauty and value past commercial interests.

Today in History: November 6 1991

The last oil well fire in Kuwait is put out.

Weather change

Cooler weather struck today here after a long period of hot, dry days the humidity and cloud ceiling has dropped. Yesterday Vancouver was going for their first rain free month but it was projected to rain there at early evening to spoil the record. According to the globe and mail the record  is established and July was a rain free month in Vancouver. Just under the wire as the forecast is for rain on friday.   The globe is saying that there was 411 hours of sunshine a record that goes back to when they started recording in 1937.

Today in history: August 1, 1831

A new London Bridge opens.

Spear Head

There is a report  that a spearhead was found at the site of the new Hydro substation work West of the BC hydro yard off Voght street. The source said that there were also campfires with animal bones found in some of the gulleys leading down to the Nicola River. He said they were carbon dated and cane from antiquity.

There are historical pithouse remains at Monck Provincial park a few kilometers up the Nicola river on Nicola lake. the park system maintains them as an interest point.

Work was still in progress yesterday at the site. The new substation will increase the capacity and availability of power to business in Merritt. It is said to be  a two-year project.

Today in history: June 18,1935

Police in Vancouver British Columbia clash with Striking longshoremen with 60 injuries and 24 arrests.

Off Voght Street in Merritt and  next to the Merritt Desert Inn is an electric car recharging station. I talked to a man recharging his car and he said his car a Tesia model S has a 500 kilometer range. He had come from Vancouver and took on 130 kilometers worth of free power from the charging station.

The man said that he spends 6 dollars a month on power for his 100 thousand dollar luxury electic car. There three models below it  with less range and according to him it takes more than over night to fully charge his car with the 110 service at home.

The car drove off with no noise and a happy driver on his way to Kamloops.

The charging station is  in the  same parking lot that the farmers market occupy starting May 18th.

A report in the Merritt Herald here said that  more stations are coming.

An update:
Another Tesia driver charging up here on 4/15/13 said his range is more like 300 KMs because of going up hill and he agreed that the return trip should have better results as that would be downhill . Merritt is 2000 feet above sea level that the coast drivers come from.

Today in History:  April 9, 1867

Alaska is purchased from the Russians by a vote of one.

Randy Friske

An Elvis tribute artist was in the Desert Inn on the weekend . An unconfirmed source says that his daughter a tribute artist that does Patsy Cline was entertaining over the weekend at the hotel on Voght Street Merritt .

Randy is said to be here twice a year, there is an Elvis Society in Merritt and the Desert Inn has a unique licensed mural of the dead singer on its westerly wall.

Randy came to some prominence and good will in the Expo 86 worlds fair in Vancouver.

Editors note: the use of minors in commercial activities has some challenges and is not viewed by all as acceptable. Young protegé need at least the protection of independent agents and their exposure to possibly exploitive conditions should not include a loss of ability to receive a proper primary and secondary education.

This is usually a problem when serious fame or money becomes involved, remember social capital is a real value, however there is a possible  negative effect on the young persons social capital if it is widely viewed as an exploitive lifestyle to up-and coming mentored persons.

Today in history April 16th 1818

The United States ratifies the Rush Bagit treaty making a border with Canada.

TGIF

The oh wells, a charming group of young people called the oh wells played at Brambles bakery last evening 2 women and three young men, charmed and soothed about 60 people in a bakery on the 2100 block Quilchena
Avenue. They had just finished a cross Canada tour and were ending it in Merritt before returning to their home in Vancouver.

Merit of Merritt

Its good that it is friday….

Today in history, April 13. 1941

Merritt in winter

Merritt in winter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pact of neutrality is signed between Russia and Japan.

 

 

Persian rugs

On the weekend there was a auction of distressed goods at the local civic center. A viewing at 1 pm was followed by an auction a 2pm.Connoisseur Heirloom carpets were shown with pedigrees as to origin. One that I viewed was presented as from Kazakstan and the tribe you made it was related. The auctioneer said that antiques of that pedigree ( over 90 years ) go for 35 thousand dollars at auction houses in New York. A small 4X6 went for 500 dollars on Saturday and a large carpet was taken of the floor when it did not get a 25 hundred-dollar reserve bid. A number of small rugs were acquired by buyers at the beginning of the show.

The Auction was cut short and the were loaded into white vans to go to another community. The prices were advertised in a local paper  as bid plus 15 percent  buyers premium and HST a contact number in Vancouver was also advertised as 604-229-1800. The men were well dressed and professional with little fuss or stuff.

Today in history, December 6th,2008

Greek riots break out because of  the murder of a 15 year old boy by police.

  • World War II MemorialThe Japanese needed security and provoked the second world war for fill. Yes fill, the crafty fellows thought that the world would respond by firing artillery shells into the island nation, plugging holes and filling cracks so that they had land to live and grow on. That has to be true as when the game went atomic the war was over because no more fill.
    England, Japan and New Zealand are about the same size with the latter being slightly larger than the Japanese 4 islands that house their 100 million people.
    Points
  • Snakes, there are no snakes in New Zealand as In Ireland they didn’t make it out of the ice age.
  • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?
  •  A least one 1200 year old tree centers the splendid sand and greenery for the fauna in New Zealand
  • A small lizard survives the from the Dinosaur age we think he must have liked to eat frozen snakes.
    • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?
  • product placement
  • 1/4 acre syndrome; the  inhabitants of New Zealand have lawns and single family dwellings and their favorite pastime is self home renos.
    • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long  journey to Paradise?
  • 20 to 1 sheep, there is peace and contentment as the 3 million odd people in New Zealand can all count sheep to go to sleep at night.
  • *
    • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?

It’s a long, long way to paradise from spirit bay….

If the Japanese can make it to Vancouver they can fly for about a thousand dollars to New Zealand  via commercial air carrier .

Note there are poisonous sea snakes in the ocean off New Zealand     .

  • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?
  • please note the one pointless note….*